Things to do in Prague, splurging
Fine-dining tables, serious cocktails and design shopping across the old city
This is Prague for people who want the full version: serious kitchens, architect-designed cafés, proper cocktail bars and boutiques worth the credit card. The plan stays tight to Staré Město, Josefov and Malá Strana, so nothing requires a taxi and the city reveals itself at walking pace. If you care about where your coffee comes from and who cooked your dinner, this is the itinerary.
Day 1: Old Town and Josefov in full
Start inside a Cubist café, shop the Palladium in the morning, take La Degustation's Bohemian tasting menu at lunch, then Italian at Casa De Carli and a late cocktail.
- 9:30 AM
Grand Café Orient
Cubist interior gem above the House of the Black Madonna, great coffee with serious architectural flair.
Map - 10:30 AM
Palladium
Palladium's five floors of boutiques right off náměstí Republiky, the best in-town shopping sweep.
Map - 12:30 PM
La Degustation Bohême Bourgeoise
Tasting menu built on 19th-century Czech recipes, reworked course by course; take the full Bohemian menu.
Map - 2:30 PM
Španělská synagoga
Stunning neo-Moorish synagogue with superb Judaica collections, one of Prague's finest interiors.
Map - 7:30 PM
Casa De Carli
Family-run Italian on Vězeňská; handmade pasta, good fish and a long list of Italian wines.
Map - 9:30 PM
Kenton's New York Bar
Dark, polished cocktail bar a few steps from dinner; order a Manhattan or a dry martini.
Map
Day 2: Malá Strana, slow and thorough
Cross Charles Bridge, eat classic duck at U Modré Kachničky, drift through a Baroque garden, and end the night with Moravian wine rather than another cocktail.
- 9:30 AM
Kampa Cafe
Café on Kampa island just below Charles Bridge; coffee and cake before the crowds arrive.
Map - 10:15 AM
Karlův most
Walk the full length past the thirty Baroque statues; the castle view from the Old Town tower end is the one.
Map - 12:30 PM
U Modré Kachničky Restaurant
Highest-rated Czech table in Malá Strana, classic duck and game in a cosy cellar setting.
Map - 2:30 PM
Valdštejnská zahrada
Baroque garden behind the Senate with peacocks, a grotto wall and a sala terrena; free, open April to October.
Map - 7:30 PM
La Finestra in Cucina
Italian kitchen by Charles Bridge known for its dry-aged meat and fresh pasta; order the carbonara.
Map - 9:30 PM
Vinograf Wine Bar
Local wine bar a short stroll away, ideal nightcap with Czech and Moravian bottles.
Map
Day 3: Nové Město: coffee, culture, a big dinner
A grand Viennese café, a serious department store for design and fashion, a great-value lunch at Alma, the national museum's neo-Renaissance halls, Italian at CottoCrudo and a quiet bar to close.
- 9:30 AM
- 10:30 AM
Máj Národní
Máj Národní is Prague's go-to department store for design, fashion and local boutique finds.
Map - 12:30 PM
Restaurant Alma Prague
Great-value contemporary cooking, smart, relaxed lunch a few blocks from the museum.
Map - 2:30 PM
Národní muzeum
The neo-Renaissance palace at the top of Wenceslas Square; the Pantheon under the dome is the showpiece.
Map - 7:30 PM
- 9:30 PM
Where to stay
Four Seasons Hotel Prague
Right on the Vltava between Old Town and Malá Strana, and the service is exactly what this itinerary demands.
Andaz Prague
Design-forward rooms steps from the Old Town plan, and the kind of lobby that fits the overall tone of these three days.
Make Prague your trip
Swearby drafts the days from places people swear by. Swap any stop, then invite the crew by text, even friends without the app. Vote on dates, track costs as you go, and everyone gets one number at the end.
Get Swearby on the App StoreBefore you go
Book ahead
- Prague Castle: a few days ahead
- St. Vitus Cathedral: a few days ahead
- Jewish Museum in Prague: a few days ahead
- Veletržní palác (National Gallery Prague): a few days ahead
- Strahov Library: a few days ahead
- Taste of Prague Foodie Tour: weeks ahead
Skip these
- Money exchange booths in Old Town give rates far below market, use a bank ATM and never change on the street.
- Trdelnik is not a traditional Czech pastry, try vetrnik or kolace at Mysak instead.
- Restaurants on Old Town Square, Karlova and Melantrichova have picture menus and inflated prices.
- Strip club touts on lower Wenceslas lead to four figure bills, never enter.
The full Prague travel guide: when to go, safety, getting around